Article dispensing device



March 14, 1950 w. s. coNNELL. 2,500,654

ARTICLE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1947 4 sheets-sheet 1 Milka/z 5 6022/26' l,

March 14, 1950 w. s. coNNELl.

l ARTICLE DISPENSING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1947 mw QN mm, .Nw

March 14, 1950r w. s.coNNE| ARTICLE DISPENSING DEVICE .4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 4, 1947 March 14, 1950 w. s. coNNELl. 2,500,664

ARTICLE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Mlliam 5 Cvfzfwll;

Patented Mer.-14,319so ARTICLE DISPENSING DEVICE William S. Connell, Norwood Park Township, Cook County, Ill., assignor to The Bastian- BlessingCompany, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois y Application April 4, 1941, serialv No. 139,388

8 Claims. (Cl. S12-48)' The present invention v relates to an improved dispensing apparatus generally operated or released for manual operation by a coin controlled mechanism to dispense articles one lat a. time, particularly vbottles such as those used in handling soit drinks for public consumption.

Although the dispensing apparatus of this invention can be used equally well for dispensing carbonated or uncarbonated beverages, it is especially desirable for use in dispensing bottled carbonated beverages since one of its features is the transferring of a bottle from a storage drum to a'deliv'ery receptacle accessible to the vendee with a'minimum .amount of agitation of the contents., This dispenser is further characterized by a construction and arrangement of elements by which an unusually large number of bottles are handled with a` minimum danger 'of damage to the bottlesl and the dispensing mechanism, it being easy toinsert thebottles in theirstored position and the bottles being conveyed from the stored position to the delivery receptacle without violent handling at any time. t

vIn. many Vrespects the dispensing apparatus of this invention is similar vto that disclosed in Patent No, 2,247,575, issued July 1, 194.1 to Tully De Stefani, reference to which hereby made, and the application of William S. Connell et al., Serial No. 549,146, led August 12, 1944, which issued as Patent No. 2,435,177, January 27, 1948, reference to rwhich is hereby made. However, the 'apparatusof the presentinvention differs substantially from those disclosed in the patent and application cited particularly in the method of supporting bottles' in the drum and the means employed in conveying a bottle from the storage drum tothe delivery opening.

One object of this invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus* in which a large number of bottles are ,stored in -a relatively vsmall ,space and vwhichwill dispense them one at a time with aminimum ofagitatipn of the contents.

Anotherobjectis .to providea dispenser which may `lne-used to dispense bottles having noncylindricalfmajorpportions` such as those used for -Coca'Cola,, without dangerof the mechanisms becoming-jammed. I'

Anotheriobiect isto provide a dispenser whereinbottle's are ,stored in stacks in a-rotary drum anddispensed=one by one from the bottom of l`each'` stack, the drumV being rotated to the adjacent stack each time a bottle is dispensed and the 'bottom"bottle"of"-the stack being'slightly sep- 'aated-"'from -thereinalnderof-the stack so that it does notsupp'ort the weight of the other bottles at the time of dispensing.

Another object is to provide a dispenser in which the bottles are carried at an inclined angle in the drum, the bottom of the drum having' a conical skirt down which the bottle being dispensed slides.

Another object is to provide a drum for carrying the bottles at a small angle to the horizontal, the cap ends being higherv andthe lowermost bottle1 of each stack -being inclined at a greater angle and `disposed at a'slightly greater radius. .'Otherand additional' objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent toV those familiar with the art on reading rthe specification and the appended claims in conjunction with the drawings, in which: A.

Fig. l is a front'view of the cabinet housing bottle dispensing apparatus of this invention.

Fig. 2 isa `horizontal section taken through thecabinet'of Fig. 1 from one side.

Fig. 3 isan enlarged `section of a portion "of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3, certain bottles being removedfrom the storage drum.

Fig. 5 Vis a side v1ewA of the bottle lowering' ramp.

Fig. 6 is a composite schematic view illustrating the functions of rampr 1 Fig. 7 is a view of aportion of the storage drum.

Before referring to the details of construction, it will be noted that the general construction is one in which a refrigerated cabinet I0 (Figs. 1 and 2) has a drum Il mounted therein for rotation about a vertical axis. The periphery of the drum I I is divided into a pluralityvof vertically disposed slideways in which bottles i3 are stacked in an inclinedposition witht their -bottoms disposed outwardly and their tops inwardly at an angle of approximately 20. l

The bottles I 3 are dispensed one. at a timefrom the bottom of the stacksthrough aldischarge opening I4 as the drum I"I'isrotated'andindexed by an intermittent drive controlled by afc'oinire lease mechanism I5."The' lwermost'bottleifllla in each row is brought successively-finto dis; charge position and releasedlwhile" vthe "bottles I3 above thel previously VVdischargedf'bvottle are lowered into'place by arampili elslthe d'u'rn II is Y "ffii: '1 f'f'w., y

As each bottle I3 is discharged","iilinove's"l tom iirst outwardly through the .dis'charg'eopeni ing I4 merely by sliding lengthwise a'fs'hort'fdis tance, without appreciafoly'changingr itsffrelative inclined position,v to areceptacle f I5; From' the .vendee and inserted in the cap lifter 8.

receptacle Il the bottle can be picked up by Tte e contents of the bottle I3a during the process are not agitated to any substantial degree from the time that the bottle leaves its position on the drum and the time that it has its neck inserted into the capv lifter 9 because the delivered bottle lies in the receptacle I5 at the same angle as that required to insert it in the cap lifter 8 so that the vendee need not rotate the bottle to insert it in the lifter 9.

The drum or storage cylinder II comprises a vtubular central member I1 supported at the top and bottom by the ball bearings I8 and 20, a substantially fiat circular top plate 22 attached to the top of the tubular central member I1, a frusto-conical bottom plate 23 and a plurality of radially extending divider members 24 surrounding the central member I1 and attached to the top plate 22 and the bottom plate 3. These divider members 24 are not attached to the centr'al member I1 but are supported by the top plate 22 and the conical bottom plate 23. At the lower end of the drum II a strap 25 extends around the drum II, being attached to each of the divider members 24. The top of the drum II is provided with a gear I2 attached to the periphery of the top plate 22, and a drive shaft (not shown) extends upwardly from the coin re lease mechanism I5 to a pinion (not shown) which meshes with this gearl I2. By this means the drum I I is rotated from a position where one stack' of bottles I3 is indexed over the discharge opening I4 to a. position where the adjacent stack is indexed each time a purchase is made.

The end plates 26 and 21 for supporting the central member I1 on the bearings I8 and 2l are provided with openings 26a to allow 4free circulation of air through the central member I1.

A fan 28 driven by a motor 38 is disposed below the central memberV I1 in the center of a refrigerant expansion coil 3|. When this fan 28 is rotating, air is drawn Adown through the central member I1, passes outwardly over the refrigerant coils 3i, from which it flows upwardly past the bottles I3 to the top of the cabinet III topass into the top of the central member I1 and be recycled.

A more detailed description of a refrigeration system for a bottle dispenser of this type is vgiven in the application of Herman K.- Johnson, Serial No. 574,764, iiled January 26,` 1945, reference to which is hereby made.

The bearing 28 (Fig. 3) is carried by a short shaft 33 supported on a fixed base plate 34 perforated at the centerv for the passage of air to lthe fan 28. This plate 34 is in turn carried by two channel members 35 which are attached to -the sides oi' the cabinet I0. The upper bearing I8 (Fig. 2) is supported on shaft 36 attached'to the top of the cabinet III.

The outer periphery of the plate 34 is shaped to form a cam track 31 having a low point 31a adjacent the discharge opening I4. A plurality of movable arms 38, one for each stack of bottles I3, are pivotallymounted on pins 40 secured to the central member I1. The outer'ends of these arms 38 are supported on rollers 4I attached thereto which roll on the cam track 31 as the drum II is rotated. Each roller 4I is supported between two fork pieces 42 and 43 o'nan axis pin 44, the end of which extends outwardly beyond the fork piece 43. The top end of the fork piece 43 is bent outwardly and upwardly to form a bottle supporting lip 45 which, when n 4 in the raised position, retains the lowermost bot tie I3a of each stack on the conical plate 23.

However, when a roller 4I passes onto the low point 31a of the cam track 31 the lip 45 is moved 5 downwardly away from the corresponding bottle I3a so that the bottle I3a is free to slide down the conical plate 23 and through the opening I4 into the receptacle I5. In order to insure that each arm 38 will be positively moved downwardly into the low point 31a, a U-shaped member 48. which follows the contour of the track 31, is provided whose upper portion extends over the top of the pin 44 and thereby serves to positively pull the roller 4I down into the low point 31a.

As the bottle I3a leaves the plate 23 it i's supported by two guide members (Fig. 7) each formed integrally with a plate 5I which connects the divider members 24 with a cylindrical member 52 depending from the conical plate 23. These members 58 serve to guide the bottle I'3a as it moves downwardly on the plate 23. A door 53 (Fig. 3)` hinged at the top normally covers the discharge opening I4 to prevent the escape of cooled air from the dispenser. In sliding through the opening. I4 the bottom of the 'bottle I3a forces this door 53 open and holds it in that position until the bottle I3a is completely out of the dispenser when the force of gravity causes the door 53 to swing closed again.

Thus far it has been shown how the bottom bottle I3a is dispensed from each stack as the II is rotated from one stack to the next. In order to prevent the bottle I3 next above the bottom bottle I3a from dropping into the bottom position and being dispensed and also to gently lower each bottle I3 to the bottom position, the inclined ramp I6 is provided. This ramp I6, which approximately follows the arc of a circle and preferably extends over the arc encompass- 4u ing four stacks of bottles I3, is supported on the \iixed plate 34 by three legs 55. The upperportion 51 of this ramp I6 is disposed over the dispensing opening I4, the inclined portion 58 sloping downwardly from this point in a clock- 45 wise direction to the level of the bottom bottles. The lower end of the inclined portion 58 is provided with an inwardly projecting plate 60 attached to the top of the ramp I5. 'Ihis plate 60 vstarting at a point approximately halfway 50 down the inclined portion 58 of the ramp I6 follows the slope of the ramp I6 and is spaced therefrom a distance equal to the base diameter of a bottle I3. Thus as the drum II is rotated, the end of a bottle I3 progressing down the in- 55 clined surface 58 will be positively carried downwardly to follow the ramp I6, should the bottle I3 tend to stick.

Thus the upper portion 51 of the ramp I5 passes between the lowermost bottle I3a and the next.

outwardly with respect to the ramp I6 until it reaches the bottom position indicated by solid lines. When in the bottom position the bottle is Supported by the lip 45 on the arm 38the lower end of the inclined portion 58 of the ramp I6 being cut olf at a level slightly above that of the lips 45.

The conical plate 23 is provided with an upper 15 portion 23a having a greater slope. This upper shown in Fig. 3. AThe bottle -its ownweight off offtheconical plate 23.,.guded byjthe guide ymembers Y I4, raising the door 53and.comes to. rest in therv delivery receptaclev I5, the bottle I3a sliding'relatively slowly and withoutrotation so that its conveyingsaidbottle above said lowermostbottle to fthesbottom of saidvertical vopening as' said cyl/inportion serves m mavethebome lmutwardiy es the rampvI4 carries it 4downwardly by bearing against `th'e neckend ofeach bottle I3 as. it is lowered. f

After Vthebottle` Halleavesthe ramp I6 and is supported by the lip 4l on one of the arms 33, it

progresses step by stepto the dispensing position wardly eachtime a bottle I3a is dispensed; Consequently, from the ydescriptionof ythe. ap-

paratus .andj its operation, it will be `apparent that apdispensing apparatus is, -provided which v can be loaded as fast as bottleshca'nbe handled as thedrum .II isrotated each time a bottle I3a is dispensed. Thus each stack or bottles isvlowereda distance equivalent `to the? diameter of. a single bottle I3 as that stack travels over the ramp I4.

The cabinet Il isl provided with an armored outer door 'II and aninnerinsulated door 12. When these doors are opened, .access may be had tothe drum II for charging bottles I3. The door l2 is relatively narrow1 exposing only a single section of the drum II. so that each stack of bottles I3 must be tated to the next station before the corresponde ing stack is charged. Bottles I3 are inserted between the divider members 24 one at a time by the serviceman who holds the bottle I3 in a substantially upright position, pushes it into the space between two adjacent members 24, and rotates it so that the neck end moves downwardly until the bottle lies on an angle of approximately 1'5 degrees. When in this position the inner .portions 24a (Fig. 4) of the members 24 hold the bottle I3 against rotation in a horizontal plane while the outer portions 24h prevent it from sliding outwardly. vEach of the bottles I3, except the lowermost I3a, is supported on the lowermost bottle in weight bearing relationship, the outer edge of the drum II holding the bottles I3 at the proper angle. V

-In practice, servicemen usually flll the `drum II by inserting sumcient bottles I3 to iill' one stack and then depositing a nickel and operating the dispensing mechanism to dispense one bottle I3 and rotate the drum II to the next posltion when the adjacent stack is filled. This procedure is repeated until the drum II has turned.` through a complete revolution and is fully charged with bottles.

The operation of the device of this invention in dispensing bottles maybe summarizedas follows: When the vendee deposits a coin in the slot SI (Fig. '1) the release mechanism I5 is actuated to permit the hand1ef62 to be reciprocated. The vendee then reciprocates this handle 32 driving the drum II bymeans of the gear I2 in a clockwise direction. As the drum II is rctated, the bottle I3a (Fig. 4) adjacent the high end of the ramp li is carried beneath the ramp I6 into alignment with the discharge opening I4. Just as this bottle Ila is aligned withthe dischargeopenng, `the roller 4I supporting the arm 33 reaches the low point 31a in the cam track 31, the member 48v forcing'the' pin 44 downwardly. When the end of the arm-'33 is fullydepressed',

charged and the drum II ro,

i by -`theserviceman. Furthermore,- -the .bottles when dispensed are handled with a minimum of agitation of the contents withl a compact device made up of simple elements whose operations are readilyfunderstood by servicemen. It will also be appreciated that a power drive' can be substituted for the manual drive represented if automatic operation is desired.

Consequently, having thus described the invention and certain embodiments thereof, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art how the various objects are attained and that various changes can be made toA accommodate articles of different-sizes includingbottled milk, uncarbonatedbeverage bottles rand other articles very easily without departing from the .spirit of the invention, the scope of whichis commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1

1. A bottle dispensing apparatus comprising a rotatably mounted cylinderA having a plurality of vertical-openings therein, eachfor receiving a vertical stack of bottles, a conical skirt attached to the bottom of said cylinder, a plurality of arm members pivotally mounted adjacent the center line of said cylinder below said conical skirt, each having an upstanding projection thereon for retaining the lowermost bottle of eachof said stacks on said conical surface, a roller attached toeach of said arm members, a nonrotatable circular track for supporting said rollers, said track having a. depression at one' point thereof equal indepth to the height to one of said upstanding projecbottle in the stack when said lowermost bottle isA allowed to slide into said receptacle and for conveying vsaid bottle above said lowermost bottle to:

the bottom of said vertical opening as said cylinder is rotated.

2. A bottle dispensing apparatus comprising a rotatably mountedcylinder having a plurality of vertical openings therein each forreceiving a vertical stack of bottles,'a conical skirt attached to the bottom of said cylinder, a plurality of members rotatable withsaid cylinder each having an f upstanding projection thereon, for retaining the lowermost. bottle of.- each of (said stacks on Asaid conical surface, a roller attachedvto'each of .said

members,` aiixed .circular track kfor supporting the lip,45 is drawn awayfrom the bottle'I3a as I3a then slides by l 53,. 'through .thei opening tents are not af'gitated` excessively. l

Simultaneously withxrthe delivery oftherbotstack being supported thereby so that the lowermost bottle I3a is free to slide out from below.

:said rollers, said` track havingca depression atone y point thereof equal.l in depth to thezheight to'v one of saidl upstandingprojections, `a fixed receptacle yadjacent saidydepression.- and a xedframpmemlber for .supporting a bottle abovezsaidy lowermost lbottle in vthe `siiackw'lien saldi-'lowermostv bottle is alloweditofslideinto said receptacle and for conde'riisfrotated: fv A Y )r f3'.- A bottle-dispensing 'apparatus/comp Ving a rotatably-mounted drum' having a pluralit'yof vertical openings therein, each for receiving a vertical stack of bottles, a conical skirt Iorming'the rotatably mounted drum having ing said rollers,

" adjacent said depression,

` bottle in the stack when allowed to slide into said said bottle above said lowermost bottle to the bot- ;tom of said vertical opening as said drum is robottom of said drum, a plurality of arm members arm members,v a nonrotatable circular track for l supporting said rollers, said track havinga depression at one point thereof equal in depth to the height to one of said upstanding Projections,

3 and a receptacle accessible to a vendee so disposed that a bottle sliding oit said conical surface slides into said receptacle, and said receptacle being xed with respect to said track on the same ra dius assaid depression.

4. A bottle dispensing apparatus comprising a a plurality of i vertical openings therein, each for receiving a vertical stack of bottles, a conical skirt attached to the bottom of said l members pivotally mounted adjacent, the center line of said drum below said conical skirt, each l having an upstanding projection thereon for re` drum, a plurality of arm and an upstanding projection oneach membersv for preventing said lowermost bottles'- ing said roller downwardly into said depression, of said arm from slidingod of said skirt except when said arm member is positioned over said depression.

7. In a device of the class described the combination including a rotatable drum for receiving a plurality of vertical stacks of bottles, said bottles other than the lowermost in each stack being supported on the lowermost bottle and against a wall of the drum at an acute angle with respectto a horizontal plane,` a conical skirt member at the bottom of said drum for supporting the lowermost bottle of each stack. said skirt membermaking a slightly greater angle with the horizontal plane than said bottles other than said lowermost bottles of each stack, a nonrotatable ramp member taining the lowermost bottlefof each of said stacks p on said conical surface, a roller attached to each of said arm members, a ixed circular track having a vdepression at one point thereof for supporta receptacle disposed below and at a greater distance from the center of said drum and a'iixed ramp member for supporting a bottle above said lowermost said lowermost bottle is receptacle and conveying tated.

5. `In a device of the classdescribed the combiination including a rotatable drum for receiving a plurality of vertical stacks of bottles, a conical skirt forming the bottom of said drum for supporting the lowermost bottle in each of said stacks,

ia nonrotatable receptacle accessible to a vendee, said receptacle being so disposed and inclined with respect to said skirt that a vbottle sliding .from said skirt to said receptacle moves substantially in a straight line, an arm member for each of said stacks of bottles pivotally mounted on said drum below said conical skirt. said members being rotatable'with said drum. a roller attached to each of said arm members, a non'rotatable circu- I ar track for said rollers, said track having a depression a't one point thereof, said point lying on the 'same radius as said receptacle, and an up,- standing projection on each of said armmembers for preventingfsaid lowermost bottles from sliding oil' of said skirt except when said armmember is positioned over said depression;

6."In a device'of the class described the com-` bination including a rotatable drum for receiving a plurality of vertical stacks ofvbottlesfa conical skirt forming the bottom of said drum for supporting the lowermost bottle in each oi said stacks, a nonrotatable receptacle accessible to a vendee, an arm member for each of said stacks of bottles pivotally mounted on said drum below said conical skirt, said members being rotatable with said drum, a roller attached to each of said arm members by an axis pin which protrudes beyond said roller, a nonrotatable circular track for said rollers, said track having a depression at one point thereof, said point lying on the same radius as projecting inwardly into said drum for conveying bottles from said Stacks to the lowermost position on said skirt member as said drum is rotated, said ramp member having two projections thereon, one passing beneath the base end of said lowermost bottle and the other passing above said base end to move it positively downwardly to a position on said skirt member during the latter part of its movement down the rampmember, and means under the ramp memberfor-releasing the lowermost bottle to permit it to slide oil. said skirt member.

8. In a device of the class described the combination including a rotatable drum for receiving a plurality of vertical stacks of bottles, said bottles other than the lowermost in each stack being supported on said lowermost bottle and against a wall of the drum at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane. a conical skirt member at the bottom of said drum for supporting the lowermost bottle of each stack, said skirt member making a slightly 'greaterA angle with the horizontal plane than said bottles other than said lowermost bottles of each stack, a nonrotatable ramp member projecting inwardly into said drum for conveying bottles from said stacks to the lowermost position on said skirt member as said drum is rotated, said bottles being moved downwardly by gravity and outwardly by a second conical skirt member as they travel Vdown said ramp member in order to position said lowermost` bottle of each stack farther' from the center of said drum than theremainder of the bottles in said stack and means under the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the leof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

